Masquerade
by SilverdustXHearts.1111
Summary: The Human Protection Agency has a new target now, the Volturi. Gretchen now has to decide between her family and her morals, but how can she when she doesn't remember her family? She'll have to judge from behind her mask.R&R. Ugly Duckling Sequal
1. Full Moon

**(A/N): Hey everybody, how exciting to be on the second series! I hope that anyone who visits Rs&Rs {please please please PLEASE PLEEEEAAAAASSSSE} and as an additional note I would like to say that I am not Stephanie Meyer and own my original characters and story lines, nothing else in this fan fiction, thank you and enjoy! **

"So you're friends with the Cullens now?" Tyler demanded at lunch. It was the first day of September and the new school year. I had to admit that I had spent most of the summer recuperating from the James incident, learning the qualities of a werewolf, and trying to accept that my blood relatives made up a group of terrible vampires that killed at will. I hadn't had much time to talk to the local HPA agents in all the hubbub.

"Well I wouldn't necessarily call it friendship-"

"You wouldn't necessArily call Anytheeng friendship, Graitchen." Catherine said, groaning with every word. I blushed. The HPA had been more than kind to me the past three quarters of a year, but I still didn't feel that they were friends. I had my own private life and didn't socialize with them much. In a way it was sad, but excuse me for not feeling like I belonged. I didn't know where I was supposed to fit in this puzzle of life, well, I had a hunch, but I didn't like thinking about it too often.

"The point is that the Cullen's aren't exactly my friends. I respect the Cullen's, and I'm thankful for them because they saved my sister and helped me figure out a big hunk of my background, and I end up there a lot because of the Bella-Edward situation, but when I'm there I still feel like a stranger. Bella acts like she never belonged anywhere else. I'm a bystander, watching everything through a window."

"I see." Tyler said.

"You can't expect to fit right in, Gretch. You're so quiet and shy. Not everyone who's able to know who you are will understand you. You're a powerful, werewolf-vampire-human! You're great, and you don't belong with the Cullens. You will forever be right here, next to me!" Luna threw her arms around me. Buddy started laughing at her enthusiasm. I awkwardly put my arms around her and attempted to analyze the warm emotion that was trying to force its way into my aura.

***

I grabbed my white leather jacket that only covered the top part of my torso from the back of my computer chair and checked myself in the mirror. I was wearing a black tank top with tiny red polka dots and white, baggy jeans with my black and red skater shoes. My reddish brown hair was up in two messy buns on either side of my head. I buckled the front of the jacket as I dropped down stairs, two at a time.

"Pegasus! We're going to the beach!" He immediately started barking from somewhere in the kitchen and ran to greet me. He understood what that meant. He always understood me, even when I couldn't. I almost ran into Bella at the corner of the banister. "Hey Bella, sorry." Something other than Bella's aura hit me at that moment. There was an energy balance that was just a tiny bit off.

"No *cough* problem *cough* Gretchen *sneeze*."

"Bless you! What happened? Catch a cold?"

Between a bigger series of coughs and sneezes, she said she was tired of people asking her that, when she was perfectly fine. Edward had probably worried her to death.

"Okay, if you say so. I'm going down to La Push. You up for it?"

She couldn't stop coughing and just shook her head. After it stopped, she groaned. "I think I'm going to bed. See you in a little while."

My canvas beach bag hung at the front door next to Pegasus's leash. I took those, made sure my keys were in my pocket, and unlatched the front door. The cool wind of fall hit my face. My beautiful Silverdust Sound sat in the driveway. I had time, so there was no need to teleport. I got into the drivers side, and watched as Pegasus not only opened the passenger door, but climbed into his seat, shut the door, and buckled the seatbelt with his teeth.

"Alright, bud." I smiled at the greyhound. That's all he was until tonight. Tonight was the first full moon of the month. As we drove down the highway I sang and he howled with the music. I hated only being able to understand him three nights of the month. He was one of my best friends.

It always scared me to drive along the cliffs near La Push and see the water beside me. It was worse coming back when I was on the side of the road closest to the railing, but soon we were running down to the sandy beach where a friendly face met us.

"Hey, boy!" Jacob laughed and hugged Pegs who was jumping up and down in the excitement.

"Jacob, I just saw you yesterday afternoon! It's the first day of sophomore year and you call me out here!" Once the dogs were separated, the more human one gave me a hug.

"I'm sorry. It's just so boring around here! There's no one to talk to anymore. Sam went into this loner phase, and oddly enough Jared and Paul went with him. It's strange! Then Emily and Leah got into a fight and they aren't talking, so if I invited Emily down here Leah would give me her crap about how she isn't loved as much as Emily." He rolled his eyes. "You've never had that drama gene, Gretch. You're not allowed to borrow from them either! I need someone SANE!" I could disagree, but he wouldn't understand all the drama I caused earlier in the year if I even tried to explain.

"Thanks for counting me in the sane category, Jake. I was beginning to wonder." I laughed.

"Bella couldn't come?" He asked disappointedly.

"She's not feeling well; she's got a bad cough."

We played until the boulders cast shadows on the sand, which meant sunset was coming soon. I would need to get dinner and a shower before the sun went down.

Luckily I was able to get all that done with the help of my advanced human powers. No one noticed that I heated up my dinner with energy from my aura.

Pegasus and I stood on my window sill looking out at the stars and the forest stretched in front of us. I had never been awake for the change at 9:00 until the past few months. It was an awkward feeling, but once it was over it was just the thrill of being free.

It came. A series of tingles clanked down my spine like tumblers opening a lock. Heightened senses came next, and my body changed shape. My nose seemed ten times bigger and my arms became an extra pair of legs. Russet hairs shot out from my pores. My clothes came with me. Pegasus got nothing but a small structure change and darker hairs interwoven with the grey ones.

We launched ourselves into the forest. A raccoon was my first victim that evening. In the morning I would always feel bad for everything I ate. Being a werewolf was a state of insanity. The only thing that kept Pegasus and I from tearing each other apart was the fact that I made him. Anything that crossed our path was eaten. Did I mention my old enemy Lexi was currently in the Seattle long-term care hospital? Whoops, it was her fault for wandering around after dark.

I tore the raccoon apart with my incisors. Blood stained the grass and I gave into the blood lust. Leathery skin and prickly fir filled my mouth. I could smell nothing but the sweet scent of the blood. There was soon nothing left of the animal but bones. I dug a hole and scooped them inside. We didn't need anymore werewolf or vampire creatures running the Olympic Peninsula.

Pegs had also found himself a meal and was finishing it off a few meters away. I licked the blood off my chin, and began running, not sure where, but running. Minutes later Pegs joined me. We stopped in a small clearing

Our ears perked. There was an unfamiliar scent surrounding us. We had been running for quite a while. I didn't know where we were.

"What do you think it is?" Pegasus whispered.

"I don't know, hopefully a horde of squirrels." It didn't smell like food, though. If it had, I would have eaten it already.

Three shadows stepped out of the brush. As my eyes adjusted, I could now see the three creatures. I couldn't tell exactly what they were. Bears? Wolves? Something like that, and I didn't care. I just attacked.


	2. To the Hospital Again

**(A/N: Hey everybody! I'm so happy to be starting this new series! This will probably be the best of the four because this is when you figure everything out, and I mean EVERYTHING, okay, maybe later there will be more surprises, but this is the most surprising….I think. Actually, I might end Gretchen's story after this one come to think of it. Maybe…..**

**Anyways, please R&R, and I will have the next one up as soon as possible)**

Never fight clan Gretchen. That's my advice to you. There may be only two of us, but

the strongest, me, is part werewolf part vampire part psionicist, and the weakest is part vampire

part werewolf part greyhound. It's not a good idea.

The three wolf-bear things were beaten to a plushy pulp in a very pathetic battle.

Pegs and I didn't go crazy about their scent either, so they were neither bitten nor eaten, just

brutally damaged. Pegs and I yipped and jumped excitedly around our defeated enemies that

could do nothing but moan. I knocked Pegs to the ground playfully. He barked in joy. Once

we ended our celebration and looked back at our victims, they were three, naked, dark-skinned

boys.

"Arf." I said in confusion. They didn't smell like humans. I would have eaten a human.

Something tugged at the strings of my memory, but I didn't know what. It was too much of a

composed thought to come forward when I was wolfy.

Pegs was barking rapidly at the new figures. I started howling for no reason, it was an

animal thing. Confused? Make noise. Happy? Make noise. Hungry? Eat. Threatened?

Attack. Sad? Make more noise.

The largest one came around and sat up, running his fingers through his hair. He spotted

us and his eyes went wide. He leaned over and shook the others. He made quiet noises that I

couldn't comprehend. I growled, no doubt they were going to try and fight us again. They

sounded something like-

"Jared, Paul, we have to get out of here. Heal quicker. I don't know what those things

are." Of course, at the time, I didn't know what it meant. Another came to his senses and sat up.

One look at me and he had to bite his lip to keep from screaming out. He made a sound, sort of

hike hissing, something like-"Fffffffffaack." and licked his lips, nervously. Pegasus launched

himself in front of me. Like him a few minutes ago, I began to bark repeatedly at the intruders as

I jumped to Peg's side. My animal side didn't let me hang back in the midst of a fight.

The last jumped up quite suddenly as if waking up from a nightmare. "Woah." He said

with his eyes wide, not aware we were there yet. He lifted his head. "OH COME ON YOU

GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" I was barking louder now. Another sudden move like that was

going to earn them their deathbeds.

"Jared you idiot!" The other two whisper-shouted at him.

"Sorry. Let's get out of here." They walked away, never turning their backs on us.

Pegasus and I feared they would come back, and ran all the way back home.

***

That morning I found red, wolf hairs in my bed. I would have to vacuum it out again. I

dressed for school in the usual way, heliotrope circles under my eyes. Today I wore a black, flannel

jumper with purple criss-cross lines with a white shirt underneath, matching fingerless gloves

with a thin, leather strap as a cuff, a black and purple striped tie, a black and purple striped

headband with a bow on one side, white knee-highs, and black, leather, school shoes like

something you'd find on a doll.

As I got ready I remembered the boys we saw last night. If they were really werewolves,

they wouldn't have been able to turn back like that until sunrise, not to mention I could transform

with my clothes on. I shuddered at the scaring memories. I'd never be able to get over that one.

I swung my backpack over my shoulders and once again took the stairs two at a time

until I got to the bottom.

"Okay Billy, thanks for the warning." Why was Charlie talking to Billy on the phone _this _

early? "Yeah, big game tonight, bring Jake if you like. Bye." Bella was already at the kitchen

table munching her cheerios.

"Alright, girls. Just a heads up for you. Some Quilette boys found wolves in the

forest last night. Two big ones, looked real lean and fierce, but the boys think the animals might

have had rabies. There was a red one and a grey one. Wolves are usually very peaceful, and I

don't think the boys would have done anything to threaten them, so just be careful and don't go

into the woods. I think you know that by now." I bit my bottom lip, whoopsies. "I've got to go to work. Stay safe." He hugged us each before heading out the door. He started doing that ever

since the incident in May.

"I don't have rabies." I whimpered.

"Gretchen! You've got to be careful!" Bella shouted at me, pausing to cough every two

words. "You could have killed them, or gotten yourself killed! They have guns, you know?

How far do you run every night?"

"That's the thing Bella. When I transform, I'm not human. I don't know up from down,

and I certainly don't know English. All I know is that Peg is part of my clan and what home

smells like."

"That's scary." She said. "You have no human sense whatsoever?"

"No, not at all. Last night was different than the story Billy gave Charlie, though. When Pegs and I were running around we came across three wolves. We fought them, and won, but when we looked back they were human. Luckily, they got away undamaged, but we hit them pretty hard, they should have been bruised and scratched, but they were perfectly fine."

"So you're saying those Quilettes were werewolves too?"

"If they were werewolves they wouldn't have been able to turn back until sunrise. They're something different. I'm going town to La Push today to talk to Billy and maybe ask about the old legends. Wanna come?"

"I'm still not feeling good, and I don't think that the dampness around there would be good for me."

"I hope you're not really sick. Maybe you should think about seeing Dr. Cullen. I know Edward's annoyed you to death about this already, but you should. I hate having to hear you cough, and I'm sure Edward does too." I washed my plate and put it away, then began to feed Pegs the pointless dog food. He turned his nose up and walked away. I wasn't hungry either from last night's excursion. There was a silence.

"You know, he wouldn't mind if you called him Carlisle." She was changing the subject. Great, Edward was being a bad influence. I moved to work on my laundry. Most of my stuff had to be hand washed or dry cleaned.

"I know, Bella, but I can't. You fit with that family. I don't, and I don't mind admitting it." She sighed, then coughed. A gentle roaring, like a fan, hit my ears. I immediately new what the sound was, and tried my best to not listen to it any more. Edward's engine was one of those sounds that I wouldn't be able to hear if I was completely human. If I listened for it I would end up fainting from the vampire venom leaving my system. At least, that's what thinks happens.

"Time to go to school." I said, and disappeared from the house. I always let them be "alone" on our way to school, when really I was floating molecules only a few hundred feet away, ready to spring when trouble came.

***

That morning, I was passing from one building to the other when a werewolf-like sensation came over me, the first thing I feel before transforming. The air was suddenly full of friction. I almost couldn't stand to be in the area. I stood there shaking, and no one bothered to ask me what was wrong. My popularity had faded in the last few weeks of the end of school last year. It didn't move into the loosening of my spine though. The feeling wasn't coming from me, and there were no HPA agents or Cullens in the vicinity to care. I wrapped my arms around myself to hold myself together.

At that point I couldn't take it anymore. The energy was getting heavier and heavier, a smothering feeling, something the other kids would only notice by the fact that they felt slightly uncomfortable. I opened my mouth to scream, but all I could feel was the force trying to pull my throat inside out, and all I could hear was my own gargling. A tangible, physical force knocked me over from behind. The last thing I saw before going unconscious was a flame of red hair and thick-rimmed glasses.

A series of visions began. I was in the school cafeteria and it was lunchtime. I was watching the Cullen+Bella table. Everything seemed perfectly fine until-

"Bella!" Alice shouted and stood up from her seat. For a few seconds the other five teens just stared at her because she was crazy. She sat back down, discretely pulled out her phone, and dialed three numbers, staring at her best friend in horror the whole time.

Someone answered on the other side. "Yes, I'm at Forks highschool and my friend just started having a seizure. She needs an ambulance. This is Alice Cullen, please request Carlisle Cullen." She hung the phone up.

"Alice what do you-" Edward began to ask, but that's when it happened. Bella began to thrash violently in her chair.

***

"What time is lunch?" Dr. Cullen asked once I had woken up in the hospital, a little less than an hour later.

A nurse knocked, and opened the door. "Dr. Cullen, it's Bella this time." I checked my watch.

"It began about ten minutes ago."


	3. A Peek Into the mind of a Psionicist

I didn't know what to think as they rolled Bella into the room on the stretcher screaming, Alice and Edward tagging along behind. As soon as all the other doctors had dispersed, Dr. Cullen began an extreme conversation with Alice. He shouted off several different medical, and Alice immediately gave him what the results would be.

"Alice, if everything is perfectly fine then what is wrong?"

"I don't know. I don't know, Bella. I'm sorry. I'm a terrible sister." She began to dry sob. "If this goes on any longer, she'll die." I could feel the same energy that I bumped into radiating in Bella. It was hurting her, killing her. It was a very familiar energy, but extremely violent. Edward began panicking.

"Carlisle, how did this happen? I can't just do this! I didn't ever want it to come to this. I never thought that it would happen, and it's happening now! I don't know if I have the strength to do that to her." He looked to his old friend for some guidance. I realized what he was talking about. He was going to change her, right then and there.

"NO!" I shouted. That was the last thing that was happening to my sister. "I think I can help. I think I know what this is." Quickly I imagined a cord running from Bella into the center of the Earth. This was a grounding cord. I imagined all her pain and suffering moving down the cord, making its way to the center of the Earth and exploading at the core. Usually, a grounding cord gets rid of foreign energy, but no matter how much I pulled into the fiery depths, Bella continued to scream.

"What exactly are you doing?" Carlisle asked. To them I was sitting feet away from her, doing absolutely nothing.

"Well I tried grounding her, but it didn't work." They all just stared at me. Carlisle and Alice had no idea what I was talking about.

"Alice, how long do we have?" Edward asked.

"Thirty seconds." She whined in a high pitch voice. Her eyes were hopeless. I closed my eyes, and looked to my third, right in the middle of my forehead. There had to be a solution.

"Forget it Gretchen, I'm not going to let her die." Edward said, and bent down to Bella's neck. I didn't let this break my concentration. He would hesitate for quite a few seconds before he did anything rash, because part of him was still hoping I would find the answer.

_Where can I cut the negative energy off?_ I asked. A red blob highlighted a long energy cord from Bella heading off somewhere outside the room. With my violet aura I broke the cord easily, but Bella was still shrieking in pain.

"She's going to live." Alice laughed.

"But why is she still hurting?" Edward asked.

I took a crystal from the pouch I kept in my purse, and put it just below Bella's neck. I forced the energy into the crystal with my own aura then grounded Bella one last time. The room was silent excluding her heavy breathing. No doubt, someone with a grudge against Bella infected her with a psivirus unknowingly. It would all be okay now. With that sample I could track down whoever did it, and enclose them in a barrier from my own energy so they could never do something like that again.

"Bella, darling, are you alr-" Edward was interrupted by another shriek.

"Dammit, why didn't it work!" I yelled, and went through the process again. The cord had once again connected to Bella. I repeated the process again without the crystal and masked her in a layer of my own energy, so she wouldn't be targeted again. Someone unaware of there energy wouldn't have been able to reconnect the cord. An experienced psionicist would have to do something like that. She stared at the wall anxiously, waiting for the pain to come again. Thank the dear lord, it didn't.

"You're saying one of the HPA did this? The local one?" Edward asked.

"I didn't say anything Edward." I smirked quickly, "but yeah, it was one of them. I didn't think any of them had a grudge against you, Bella. They're all very nice. Can you think of anyone?" I cringed at the thought of having to arrest Luna or Buddy.

"I'm not familiar with all of them. List them off."

"Luna, Buddy, Tyler, Buddy's little brothers- the twins, Rachel the little girl, I don't think you know Catherine, and then their parents."

"Earlier when you were trying to remember what happened before you had your attack. You saw a flash of red?"

"Mmhmm, and black."

"Remember it again." I did as he asked.

"Tyler," He growled.


	4. A Lethal Task Unveiled

001, I hit those numbers, almost at vampire speed on my dog tag alarm. No surprise to me, a square part of the wall dismantled itself and flipped around, revealing an LCD TV. The others stared at it like it was the strangest thing they'd ever seen. A picture of a ringing phone appeared. There was something wrong, the screen never rings. Agent Founder always picks up immediately.

"Agent Ironia, great Gatsby! Why on Earth are you calling in the middle of the school day. I just finished a very important mission! You're very lucky I wasn't killed! That you weren't hunted down!" Everything around him was blurry. He was there, he was at my home, or at least near it. He was wearing a business suit like usual. His brown hair groomed perfectly. He was around his late thirties, early forties.

"I apologize, Agent Founder, but there has been an extreme case of perfidy right under our noses." I was too irate to realize what his location implied.

"Who's all there with you?" He peered at us. The great amount of sunlight wherever he was, was casting a glare on the screen.

"Carlisle Cullen, Edward Cullen, Alice Cullen, and Bella Swan, Sir."

"Perfectly fine, proceed."

"Tyler Crowly infected my sister with a psivirus out of pure jealousy. The society didn't help him to his full potential for evil. I figure you better bring him in. I have an energy sample here." I held up the crystal. A small drawer slid out of the wall. Carlisle looked unnerved. I didn't think he knew that those were in his office, they're everywhere. I stepped forward, dropped the stone in, and stepped back so he could see me better. The drawer snapped back in the wall.

"Agent Red? That kills me to hear, Agent Ironia, it really does. His family has been serving our cause for twenty five years, when it first started. My best friend is his father! This is going to be a difficult one to explain. Those actions are shameful! Being jealous of a vampire, ha! We created this society to keep them from hurting us, not to be spoiled brats!" He scowled. "Well this really puts a damper on my day, and things were going so well! I will analyze the sample to make sure it is Tyler's energy that has been running amuck, and arrest him if I find it positive. Good afternoon, Agent Ironia, friends."

The screen began to flicker.

"Wait, Benjamin!" Carlisle called out, throwing his hand in front of the screen. The image stabilized once again.

"What is it Carlisle?"

"You weren't trying to take on the Volturi by yourself, were you?" I was shocked.

"Sir, you could be killed!" I exclaimed. The room was silent, everyone stared at me. "Hey, just because I'm related to them doesn't mean they don't scare me as much as they scare you." I cared about the Founder more than I did my family anyway.

"Of course not, Doctor. You know I'm intelligent enough to know that the only way to execute that task would be to have hundreds of _experienced adult_ agents backing me and in a _peaceful_ manner." Really? The thought of him even trying that made me a bit ill. At this my face fell. I'm sure the place I came from couldn't have been all bad.

"You have this team with you?" Carlisle inquired as if he was suspicious of something.

"It's been a long time since you were in Volterra, my friend. There are more vampire clans in the area. Now, I'm sorry I have to cut our conversation short, but I have business to attend to."

"I find it hard to believe that any other clan would be allowed to exist in Volterra other than the Volturi, Benjamin."

"Good-bye, Carlisle." The screen went black and went back into the wall.

"Gretchen, are you sad?" Bella asked.

"That's one of the first signs of being part of the Volturi. Mood swings!" Alice sang, trying to lighten the mood. I giggled.

"Happiness, that's three including sad and scared." I gave her a playful glare.

"Annoyed, that's four." I was full on frowning now. The door to the office opened. Jasper walked in covering his mouth with his hand. He was laughing.

"Angry, that's five." He said. "What'd I miss?"

"Jasper, how did you get over here?" Carlisle asked, taking off his gloves.

"By car, like everyone else." He grinned. "It seems we have a repeat of last February."

"Maybe, this time we won't have to talk to Renee for an hour." Bella sighed.

"Bella's fine, thanks to Gretchen, but we found out that the HPA is going to fight the Volturi soon." The verdict spread over the room with a silence that pierced all of our hearts.


	5. Triple Species, Triple Sides to Choose

"Carlise, you won't try and interfere, will you?" Edward asked, obviously concerned for Bella's well being. Carlisle gave him a small smile and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I might have lived with them for quite a few years, but they are not my family. I'm staying here to protect what I love." He gently placed his other hand on Bella's forehead. She blushed. It almost crushed me to see this. I hadn't even met my family. I longed for the emotional fulfillment that came with it. How is it possible to miss someone you haven't even met? "Now," Carlisle retracted from the touching moment. "how are we going to explain these two seizures?"

I raised my hand halfway, focused turned to me, and I answered. "We've both been randomly diagnosed with epilepsy! Just because it happened on the same day doesn't make it weird it happens with twins all the time."

Carlisle pointed to me. "That's what I was thinking. I'll tell your dad I can't diagnose it right now, but if it happens again, it's epilepsy. That way you won't be given any unnecessary medication."

"Alright, what do we do now?" I asked.

"We'll do some MRI's of the brain to make it look like I did something, and then you can go home."

***

"Billy, it's Gretchen." I said that afternoon in my room, whispering over the phone. I had planned to go there in person to sort things out, but Tyler had to spoil it. I was lying on the wooden floor, staring at the sheetrock ceiling.

"Oh, hello, why are you whispering?" He asked in a low tone.

"The kids on the reservation. They're werewolves, aren't they?" I asked.

"How did you figure it out? If you're talking about the ones I told your dad about, those weren't the kids. I'm not sure what those monsters were. Something more powerful than the pack is beyond me." Jee thanks, Billy.

"Billy, that was me. I know we haven't spoken recently, but I'm part werewolf too. I couldn't control myself. Tell them I'm sorry."

"Then, who was the other?" Billy asked.

"Yeah, I accidentally bit Pegasus. Just tell them to keep away from us, we're dangerous. We would have killed them if they had provoked us anymore."

"What do you mean you would kill them? Gretchen, you know the boys! They aren't a threat!"

"I'm not exactly the type of werewolf you have over there. I am pure animal, I loose all human instincts when I change every month. Just keep away, they know my scent now."

"Every month? Our werewolves change when they want!" Just rub it in my face, will ya?

"Billy, please stop reminding me. Apparently I'm traditional." I rolled my eyes, fell on my back, and stared at the ceiling. Pegs strolled up and began licking my forehead. I frowned at him.

"Okay, good luck, I'll call a meeting tonight. Are you doing alright? I heard you two had an accident."

"We're fine, it's a long story, but we're fine now." The conversation ended and I turned to my homework. Bad thing about full moons, had to get everything important done by sundown, but I decided I had quite an exciting run the previous night and finished my homework at vampire speed, fainting moments later on my bed. My personal home videos commenced.

Happiness, confusion, understanding, fear, anguish, love, senselessness, and finally- hopelessness reined my dreams. The beautiful woman from the picture Edward drew appeared in many scenes along with the man at the gravesite. I learned by then that I had to live in the moment, because by the end of the visions I once again choose to forget them, and I do. I focus on the warm, comforting arms around me, the feeling of a brush being pulled through my long hair. Walking with a little girl, hand and hand through beautiful gardens.

When I woke the next morning I didn't remember any of those things. I went to school with the dissatisfaction of not remembering and wondering why in the world I wouldn't let myself remember what I wanted to know.

At lunch, Agent Founder appeared on the largest screen of the facility. "Good afternoon, Agents." He was sitting in a leather office chair, at least it was some place I could see. "I have a very important presentation to show you today, but first I need to have a few children come into the orientation room for a special presentation.

"Luna White, Reginwald Simpson, Catherine O'Boon, and Gretchen Swan, You have been selected as the leading agents of this mission. Congratulations, this is a huge accomplishment." At that point, we stood, and the whole room applauded, but I did not feel anything except the climaxing fear of falling to a dreary fate below.


	6. The Philanthropist

"Daddy!" Luna exclaimed as she ran into Agent Founder's arms. Yeah, I don't think I've mentioned that specifically before, implied it maybe.

"Luna, sweet. All of you have a seat, lunch will be served soon." He returned the hug, and Luna took a seat in one of the office chairs next to the head of the table where her father was. I sat down next to her. Buddy and Catherine took seats across from us.

"I have the biggest mission you will ever attempt for you today." He leaned to his right side, picked up a briefcase and set it in his lap upright. There seemed to be no way to open the case, just a metal strip in the middle of black leather. He placed his thumb along the metal, and I saw his red aura flash between the two surfaces. The case opened, and he pulled out four manila envelopes, all four with gigantic red letters reading CONFIDENTIAL. He slid them to each of us. On the opposite side, mine read ATTENTION: AGENT IRONIA. "Don't open them yet." He told us.

"I wouldn't have chosen you for this mission if I didn't think you were ready. You are all vital parts to the success or ultimate conclusion of our society. Through a plan I have already put in motion, we are going to bring the Volturi down." I opened and closed my mouth several times, not sure what to say first. I finally just sighed and turned my head to the man who was willing to put his family in danger to bring down a clan of vampires thousands of miles away, waiting for him to say something else that I might be able to respond to better.

"Sir, you're mental." Catherine said point-blank. "I'm not doing that, count me out." She laughed, and pushed her envelope to the center of the four of us. Agent Founder frowned contemplatively at her.

"Why?- I- I-um." Luna was at a loss for words and her face got all twisted up. She let her forehead fall onto the table.

"SERIOUSLY?! WHY WOULD WE WANT TO DO THAT? THEY COULD FREAKIN SNAP OUR HEADS OFF AT THE SPEED OF SOUND! HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO KILL GRETCHEN'S FAMILY ANYWAY? WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE AND IT WILL BE YOUR FAULT! YOU-" Buddy finished and turned to Agent Founder. Now Buddy was lost for words. He fell back into his seat shakily and stared at the table. "I don't think I'm going to be joining in this one anytime in the future." He pushed his folder to the center with Catherine's.

I closed my eyes, and felt my mouth twist to one side as Luna's had. "I don't know if I could bring myself to do this, and if I could, I know I would regret it afterward. I haven't even met these people, and I can't justify killing them if I don't know who they are." I put my folder in the pile with the others. Luna lifted her head.

"At this point I have to say that I'm also out. I don't want to put millions of agents lives in danger, just to kill the Volturi."

"Will all of you please go through the envelopes with me, before you protest? It would mean a lot if you heard me out." We all made annoyed noises and took the envelopes back. A server came out with steaming hot dishes of Mexican food and soda. "I assumed that you would want as little Italian as possible." With one hand, I undid the brads, flipped the flap open, and shoved it aside for the waiter to put the food down. I took a long sip of coke before setting it down and returning to the folder.

The first page of this packet had a strange emblem in the upper left hand corner. Inside a circle was a penguin, lying on top of a butterfly, who's wings were not part of a flying insect, but a phoenix, on top of a four pointed star. About a line under the symbol it said:

"The Human Protection Agency in alliance with Psionicist Times Four, is welcoming all underage HPA agents to join them to train for a school year at Volterra Scuola di Preparazione per i Giovani Adulti (a/n: please excuse the horrible google translation) or Volterra Preparatory School for Young Adults.

"By pulling quite a lot of strings, oh let's stop pretending, we pulled a rope, this school is housed within the Volturi castle….You can stop screaming now, we've trained you for this, remember?

"You will live slightly off campus in restored homes, and while the Volturi think you're going to normal classes, you will actually be attending classes to help boost your powers and destroy the Volturi from the inside out. Fun right? What a better way to spend your eight hours a day of school! Don't worry, we've arranged so that you still get credit at your old school for the time spent out of the country. Term starts this September, and will end May twenty-second.

"Hope to see you there!

"Psionicist Times Four"

"Dad, who is Psionicist times four?" Luna asked.

"Four of the greatest psionicists of all time and your head mistresses and master." I took a bite of taco. "That packet is mostly things about the school itself and what life will be like there. We'll look back at that later for our plan of action, right now take out the pictures, we'll start with our targets."

I found a rather large packet of about forty portraits paper clipped together. The top one was gorgeous: vampire of about twenty three at the age of death, dark brown, wavy hair, deep red eyes. A spark of energy was released from my heart chakra, it felt just like the other day when Luna hugged me, but more so. Who was this? Uncle? Cousin? Father?

"This is Demetri Bianchi, not the head of the Volturi because the actual leaders are too old to be seen by humans. You won't be seeing him too often except for the first day and special events, but you will be seeing him most. Be wary of him. He has the power to find people, anyone he pleases, most likely he could sense auras and connections very clearly in his human life. This is why if Gretchen comes, she will have to be careful.

"We don't know if he knows you. You will have to take in the energy from around you constantly." I nodded.

"Next is Felix, Demetri's right hand man, it's almost odd to see friends in the Volturi, so keep a watch on that. He doesn't have any specific powers, and you will be seeing him about as much as Demetri." I didn't know him, I felt in my gut he was completely new to me. I flipped to the next picture.

"Jane is one of the Volturi's prized gems. You might not see her at all, but she convinces people that they are in excruciating pain. I would tell you to block her, but that would be extremely suspicious if she ever tried anything. On that one, it's best to go with the pain." She was a depressed-looking little girl with sholder-length curly blondish brown hair draped over her shoulders. Again, that burst of energy in my chest. It was warm, and I wanted to hold on to it forever.

"Alec, her twin, is just as alarming, being able to block out all of your senses and possibly your sixth." This affected me, but less so than the other two had, more a comfort than a longing. He would be a real problem if any of the Volturi got suspicious.

"The actual Volturi is made up of three mmmphm, Marcus, and Caius." Oh, it was that one, the one I couldn't see. I looked at the blurry red blob. Well, from all the photos I had seen of him in Carlisle's office he wore red, so at least I could remember that.

"Mmmphmm is like the leader, but you don't need to worry about him much either because he's cannot be seen by human eyes without being of suspicion, and his powers only work if he touches you, but if he does somehow, it would mean the end of the society. He can pick every thought you've ever thought right out of your head.

"Marcus senses relationships, but most of you don't need to worry about this right now. Gretchen, on the other hand, you must filter all emotional links with the Volturi so if he ever checks on you, you look like a normal student.

"Caius isn't anything particularly interesting, so there is absolutely no need to concern yourselves with him."

"Darnnit!" Agent Founder angrily bit his fingernail. He was gazing across the room to the opposite wall. A clock hung there. Lunch was almost over. "Read over the rest of this tonight and we'll go over any concerns tomorrow. Congratulations, Agents. I'm proud of you for moving up so high." We exited with a funny taste in our mouths, and it wasn't the onions.

I was met by Alice on my way to gym.

"So, someone's birthday is coming up." She started with a smile.

"Indeed, someone needs to realize and realize quickly that it will be celebrated no matter how much she begs." An evil smile grew on my face as well.

"Gretchen, I'm warning you that you're getting a letter today, and whatever you do, don't go."

"A letter from who?"

"Volterra Preparatory School for Young Adults."

"Oh, Yeah, I already know about that. I can't go. I know I'm good at psionics, but if I slip up once, Bella is dead. I can't risk that. Even the thought of people being there who also know about Bella scares me…" I continued to list fifteen other excuses I had for not going, and by the time I was done, we were at the gym. "…and even if I do go how am I going to get through that-" Alice interrupted me with a hug. Let's face it, I smell too tangy for vampires to want to drink my blood.

When she let go, she took my chin with her thumb and fore finger. "You are such a beautiful person, Gretchen. I know you want to go. Even though you never met them, you know you belong among them. That is what makes you unlike them. You have access to limitless power, and yet you choose to suffer for the sake of a group of people you aren't even related to." She smiled bitterly, letting my chin go and looking at the ground. She was right, I wanted to go more than anything in the world. To protect, or disassemble, to reunite, or watch from the shadows, I wanted to know.

"I feel like filth just standing next to you. Thank-you for being Bella's sister, even though most the time it seems she doesn't need you." After a few seconds of silence, her eyes twinkled in delight. "I'll call you on your cell after school to get the preparations together. You're the closest thing to a human I know besides Bella. I want to get this right." She winked and was off to her class. Inhuman, that was me.

When I got home from school I locked my bedroom door and collapsed on the bed with the folder. I had already slipped the letter from the mail for Charlie to not see. If by some miracle I could go, I would tell him about it.

I carefully slid the large packet from my file and was greeted by Demetri's face. The HPA was amazing to get photos like these. He faced fully to the front in an arm chair by a sunlit window. Something caught my eye, my inhuman eye saw a small blemish under his lovely red iris. I concentrated closer and closer, slowly realizing that this blemish was not small at all. It was a scar, four parallel strikes starting under his right eye and moving down to his chin on the other side, one shorter than the rest. The pain in my chest clenched tighter at my already shriveled heart. I found more, eight strikes dragging down his throat and under the collar of his cape. Who could do this to a vampire, one that the Volturi trusted their lives with? Before my brain could find the answer I was pulled into a kaleidoscope coma.


	7. A Dream, A Sorrow, And an Escape

After the memories had all rushed back to me, and I again chose to forget them for some irritating reason, I longed to go to my family and warn them of the coming danger. Looking at Demitri's picture made me come to the horrible conclusion that the Volturi weren't the strongest metal. They were only an alloy.

I came to in a pair of cold, stony arms. We were in a beautiful stone room with luxurious furniture that came right out of another time frame.

I looked up and found Demetri's face, clearly seeing the scars without having to focus on them. I looked down at myself, still humanish. Only in my dreams did I get this kind of clarity.

Demetri seemed frozen with his eyes wide, but he quickly relaxed and pulled me closer. "Come è bello, siete venuti da me e posso tenerti senza farti male." I quickly translated. _How beautiful, you have come to me, and I can hold you without hurting you. _

"You remember me?" I asked excitedly in Italian.

"Child, how do you know me? I've only seen you from time to time, and I've never spoken to you." Insert extreme confusion here.

"But, I don't understand. I-I'm not…"

"How did you get here? How do you know me?" How I got there was certainly a good question, but for some reason I wasn't concerned with it.

"Aren't I related to you?" I asked, not sure how else to phrase it.

"No, I have no idea what you're talking about. All my relatives are dead." This whole thing was starting to get on my nerves.

"But then how do you know who I am?" I asked. He took me off his lap and stood up.

"How did you get here? I'll take you back home. Forks, Washington, right?"

"How do you know where I live? You shouldn't! I don't understand anything! Tell me what's going on!" I had to protect Bella any way I could, and if he knew where I lived, why hadn't anyone come after Bella yet. He was suddenly enraged and forced hard on my shoulders. I ended up flying across the room and crashing into something. I heard the sound of glass breaking, and I was overridden with pain. I screamed and tears rushed to my eyes. Stop the pain, someone please stop the pain. I thought to myself, wanting to get up, but failing. The scene started to fade away.

I felt someone pick me up and more pain erupted throughout my body.

"Gretchen, Gretchen I didn't mean to hurt you. I just got frustrated. I'm sorry, don't leave me." Silence ensued. I wanted to tell him it was okay, and it wasn't his fault. I felt his cold hand take mine. "Gretchen, I'm not going to let you die, so I'm going to turn you into what I am. That way there isn't any more confusion. It'll hurt a lot, but you'll be okay when it's over. Tu sei la mia felicità." _You are my happiness. _I convulsed as a set of teeth sunk into my neck. The pain I expected never came.

Something hit the palms of my hands and the soles of my feet in an odd way. Like the shape of where I felt it didn't match up with the body part. The texture was cold and hard. I couldn't hold onto Demitri, there was no response as he faded out. I only heard barking.

Bright lights blinded me. I blinked. The room smelled frightened. I snapped my head around. Everything was white. Creatures stood in the far corners holding up shields, humans. A growl reverberated from my diaphragm. I charged, breaking their shields one by one. They yelped and would disappear before I could get to them. There must have been five or six different materials I had to break, metal, stone, brick, jewel. Soon the room was empty and I stood, breathing heavily and pacing around the room.

"Sorry about this, Gretchen." A voice said from behind. A pressure fell on my right ear, I whipped my head around with my teeth ready to bite. I caught skin, and blood drizzled into my mouth.

When the euphoria from fresh blood had ended, I opened my eyes on a different scene. It smelled like home. A rugged Pegasus was barking in the corner. I stood on my bed, looking over the room. I whimpered, curled up at the back corner of my bed. I didn't go to sleep for the rest of the night.

***

"You look healthy today." Charlie commented as I walked down the stairs in a displaced daze. I had just transformed back into a human and my head was spinning from the strange things that went on the night before. I remembered flashes of hair color and flesh, but I couldn't pick out anyone's figure.

"Thank-you." I said, smiling, then walked to the counter and picked an apple from the bowl before filling Pegasus's dish with dog food and giving him fresh water. He had followed me down and watched me. I could swear that when I looked at him he rolled his eyes.

"You got to bed really early last night. You okay?" Ugh, he was worried about my seizure again. Darn it, didn't do my homework.

"I'm fine." I answered

He pointed at Pegasus. "You need to shut-up at night. Don't know how Gretchen can sleep through it, but I can't." I laughed.

"Sorry, Charlie." He left a few minutes later.

When I got to school, Luna wasn't there. I asked Buddy about her. "She is resting. You bit her, and we had to drag her to Carlisle so she wouldn't become whatever the heck you are." My eyes opened wide.

"That was you guys! I'm so sorry, what in the world were you doing? You know I go ballistic when I'm a wolf. Why would you put yourselves in danger like that?"

"We were testing materials for your cage in Voltaire. We certainly can't have you running around town biting the Italians. They're already weird enough, and the Volturi would kill you." Mentioning my family caught me off guard. My pre-formed thoughts scattered, wandered aimlessly around my head, and reformed in about five long seconds.

"I already said, I'm not going there!" It hurt to say this. "Bella would be in danger, if I did. She's in danger if you go! I'm not giving them that big a chance. Why do you suddenly want to go anyways?"

"It's Luna. She can't let her father down." He paused apologetically. "I'm sorry, but you're right. I didn't think about Bella." He ran his fingers through his jelled hair. "I don't see how we would pull this off even if we all went."

"No, I'm not going. Sorry, Buddy. I can't." As I walked to class I analyzed my past night's dream of Demitri. This dream wasn't like normal ones. I had made the decisions. I was perfectly in control of what I was doing, but I suppose my dream had its own mind, because if not I would have lived happily ever after with my family. I guess, if Luna hadn't woken me the dream would have continued and I really would have lived out my life in my dreams.

The next afternoon I received the letter for the fancy boarding school I could attend in Italy on a full scholarship. Charlie urged me to go, saying it was full of opportunity to see my native country and all that other stuff that was disguised as pleasing. What would not be pleasing would be hiding my aura from my family for a whole year. What would be the opposite of pleasing would be panicking about keeping Bella a secret and accidentally letting it slip. Pleasing isn't watching your family from afar, knowing you'll never be with them.

Over the next two weeks I started entertaining the thought of suicide again, because the truth was, no one needed me except the ones who were trying to use me.

One day when Charlie and Bella weren't in I took Charlie's gun in the forest. Pegasus was upstairs doing doggy things. It was a lazy Saturday, and for me, a chance to escape all the pain. My hand was covered in cold sweat as it shook. I put the barrel of the gun in my mouth and prayed that everyone would be okay without me.

It didn't take me long to pull the trigger.


	8. The Birthday Party

My life flashed in front of my eyes, but that was a normal fainting thing. Thinking it would be the last time I held every moment dear. Althoughs mysterious feelings rushing through my head, and then they cleared, and I had control of myself. I sat up.

"Alright, I'm confused." I said, opening my eyes on my room, Pegasus near my feet. Was that all a dream? Was I still really alive? I felt the back of my head. I was fine. No damage whatsoever. I thought for sure a gun shot to the head would have worked, guess not. But that still didn't explain how I got to my room.

Pegasus picked his head up disappointedly, walked over to my right side and snuggled up to me. He knew what was going on.

"Pegs, I'm sorry, but I can't take this anymore." I hugged him around the neck and swallowed as best I could. He whimpered. I kissed him on the ear and stepped onto the floor. One glance at the window told me it was nighttime. A glance at the clock told me it was still early in the evening.

My cell buzzed erratically on my desk. I crossed the wood and picked up the small silver device. It was Alice. She figured out as the moon changed back to new, she could see me easier because I wasn't as sporadic.

"Gretchen, I had Edward get you out of the forest. I know you're in pain, but could you stick around long enough for Bella's birthday at least? I'm pretty sure that's not a good birthday present to accompany that lovely necklace you got her." I asked her how I healed. "You healed by yourself. Do I need to remind you of February's accident?" I thought a bullet through the brain would have done something. Never mind that idea then. I gave up on the whole doing myself in thing, and pulled myself back to things I would have done if I had planned on living.

"When do you want me over to help decorate, I guess?" Strange, making plans when I had planned on being dead.

"I already did. Just pick up the cake and everything tomorrow will work out relatively perfect." I sighed, didn't need to do much with the Cullen's around. Just another reason to start fertilizing plants.

"See you tomorrow, Alice, and thank Edward for me." Of course, Edward didn't really need any thanks since I had been trying to die, but if he carried my body back from where I was he deserved something.

"Of course, Gretchen. You're such a sweetheart. Get Bella in the mood if you could. Bye." There was a click in my ear.

The next day passed almost smoothly until Bella's party. Everything was set up beautifully, until she opened the first present. It was chaos. I put a shield in front of Jasper too early, he saw it coming and jumped over where Edward had just stupidly pushed Bella, into glass, which made her bleed more. As soon as I was able to put a 360 degree shield around her, Jasper came for me. Carlisle and Emmet were able to restrain him right before he opened his jaw.

"Crimety, Edward! Why did you shove her onto a glass table? That was idiotic on so many levels!" I shouted at him. Everyone except Carlisle, Edward, Bella, and I left the house.

"He was just trying to protect her, Gretchen. You shouldn't be so angry; he did well." Carlisle attempted to support his son as blood spurted from Bella's arm. I took down the shield. Edward also had to leave the room. "Come on, Bella, Let's get you fixed up."

I walked out where the others were waiting for Jasper to get a hold of himself. He was coming to his senses at a sluggish pace. I suddenly felt woozy.

"Guys, I think I acted too fast when I shielded Bella. Would someone be nice enough to catch me-" Then I was gone. The swirling colors and faces all became real again. The pain and happiness continued as it did almost every day now.

I once again awoke on the Cullen's couch knowing nothing more and nothing less than I did when I passed out. I sighed. "So what happened while I was out?" I asked. I was sitting up to make room for the others.

"We finished opening presents and we're about to light the candles. Would you like to do the honors?" Alice asked cheerily. Jasper and Rosalie had fled the scene. Me? Fire?

"If you insist on it, I'll light them. Gretchen can't go near fire without freaking out." Bella said and took the lighter herself as we walked to the table. "By the way, I'm going to open your present later, Gretch, so you can see."

"You're afraid of fire?" Edward said wearing a smirk.

"I'm not afraid of it. I just think it's dangerous." I said folding my arms and looking away as Bella lit each one.

"No, you just go psycho on me. Remember the time the lights went out during a storm and when I tried to light the candles you knocked the match out of my hand before I could light it." I frowned.

"I don't remember that at all."

"You were about six and I was ten. We were home alone. You called me Jane and told me that my hand would fall off again if I used it. I was quite a bit confused and had to hunt down a flashlight in the dark."

"Jane's hand never fell off." Carlisle jumped in unexpectedly.

"Jane's that terrible one, right?" Edward asked. Suddenly the name rang a bell for me as well. I pulled the file out of my bag.

"This Jane?" I asked taking her portrait out of the pack.

"Guys, the candles are starting to melt and Bella's going to take advantage of that if we don't sing soon." Alice said. Bella groaned. We commenced in song. After which, Edward went to flirt with her, and I continued my conversation with Carlisle.

"Gretchen, this is a lovely photograph, where did you get it?"

"Remember when Agent Founder claimed that he would never send teenagers to go defeat the Volturi?" He nodded.

"He lied. This is my debriefing packet." I said in monotone.

"You're really going after them?" Carlisle was obviously startled. I laughed.

"No, I have to stay here and protect Bella from the horrors of gift wrap." Everyone except Bella started to snicker. She tried to distract them.

"Gretchen, would you really try to kill them if you could? I mean, they're still your family and all. It just doesn't seem right." I stared at her, all humor was lost. I swallowed so I could speak.

"I probably couldn't, but if I watched to see how bad they were, and they ended up being horrible, I just might have to." Following an awkward silence, Bella and I awkwardly ate cake.

It was a quiet ride home. I sat in the back of the pickup, with the cake in a box on my lap, to give Edward and Bella some aloneish time. My vision lifted to the stars. I pointed out all the constellations I could see. Orion, Draco, Sirius, Little Dipper, Big Dipper, and finally my eyes settled on the silver glow of the moon, thinking that, my family was looking at the other side that same evening, and in that way, we were connected.

I looked back down at the picture of Jane in my lap. Her pale hands were both present and folded nicely on her lap. She hovered over a chessboard looking quite sweet, perfectly undamaged.

We got home, and Edward left. The two of us stood out on the porch, Bella fiddling with the ribbon on the present. The sound of crickets filled the warm air. Once she had all the wrappings undone, she revealed the beautiful silver necklace, the pendant being a shiny oval that held the inscription- "Sisters are different flowers from the same garden."

"Oh Gretch, it's beautiful." She gently stroked the swirling edges before putting it around her neck. "Thank-you." And I was given the first hug from her in quite a few months.

"Happy birthday, Bella." I tucked my head around her neck. The embrace was soon over, and again I sensed that invading warm feeling that I couldn't comprehend, but it always made me want to cry.

"Gretchen," Bella said, looking up at the stars from under the eves, "could I ask you something?"

"What is it?" I asked tenderly.

"Why are you always so worried about me?" The question took me by surprise. She turned back around to face me.

"I'm your sister. It's my job to make sure you're safe." It was my uniform and truthful response.

"But Gretchen, you do understand you're the younger one? Aren't I supposed to take care of you?" I turned my head to the side with a small smile out of embarrassment.

"I honestly think you need more protection, Little Miss I am determined to be a vampire's partner." I teased playfully.

"I am not. I'm determined to be Edward's. There is a big difference." Her eyes fluttered back to the skies.

"Exactly, you _need_ help."

Her tone was suddenly serious. "You need to go to Italy and meet them. At least see what they're like." I wasn't exactly sure why the conversation had taken that turn, but whatever was on her mind, I guess.

"Bella, if the HPA is after them and Carlisle doesn't want to protect them, they must be pretty bad." I hated the words coming out of my own mouth, but it would have been almost ignorant to attempt loyalty.

"Carlisle is only doing this because of me. I feel terrible about it." She said as if she was admitting some terrible secret. Silly, silly, Bella.

I shook my head. "Uh-uh, Bella, he cares about you, and I _know_ he doesn't like the Vol- my family, they were just intriguing, and he was young at the time. They kind of helped him get to his feet, and then he realized how terrible they were and left. It isn't all your fault."

"But like I said before, even if they are bad, you should go see them. They are your family after all, and Gretchen, you miss them." Why couldn't she have just ignored the subject. It would have been so much easier if she just let me save her and not the other way around.

"But Bella, the whole time I would be so afraid that I would slip and let your secret go by accident just with my energy. I can't do that to you." She looked at me with the biggest grin.

"Gretchen, you must be greatest psionicist in the world. Your even better than the kids who have been training for years, and you're afraid of not shielding well enough? Edward's told me he can't read your thoughts unless you want to talk to him about something. I'm sure that works against any other vampire as well, so you might as well go! You'll love it there, Gretch." I took my wallet out the pocket of my plaid skirt, opened it, and stared down at the two beautiful pictures. Marcus, reflecting in front of the mausoleum, and the faded one Edward drew from my mind. I would have to outline her in ink soon.

"Not if I end up having to kill my family it won't." I said, and shifted my gaze to the wooden planks of the porch as I put my wallet away. Truly I was imagining what it would be like to tear little Jane and solemn Demitri apart with my psi. It was too horrid. I heard the ripping of flesh and the screams. I started tearing up. Next thing I knew, I was in Bella's arms. I started to wonder why I was getting all the hugs today.

"Just take a chance. You deserve it. If they do turn out bad, you can come home, and you won't have to take part, but then you can be content with the family you have here, even if it is just me, Charlie, and Renee." I never considered what my feelings would be if I did get the chance to go.

"Bella, I'm afraid. This could end so badly." Until that moment, I hadn't cried a tear that I could remember. She let go of me and put her hands on both sides of my face, rubbing away my tears with her thumbs.

"You're my baby sister, and I know you're brave enough to do whatever you have to." She kissed my cheek. "Just go so you can understand. Don't think about the other if you can keep from it." My eyes touched the ground again.

"Okay, I'll go, just stay safe, alright. No more getting paper cuts or any other injury while I'm gone." She laughed nervously.

"I'll do my best, Gretch." That was the last time I really talked to my sister before he took her away from me.


	9. Readers, Prepare for Landing

In the morning, there was something different about Edward. His eyes were dead and he wasn't talking much. His eyes weren't glued on Bella like they usually were. I knew something was up. Late that afternoon, I caught him alone in the hallway upstairs.

"Hey, Ed, what happened between you two last night?" I asked. Something was really wrong, my little sister intuition told me so.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said almost coldly.

"Did you get in a fight?" I was wondering how. I had thought when vampires found a mate that was it.

"No, we're fine." He wasn't willing to offer more, but I would make him.

"Then, what happened? You're acting really strange." It was hard to press him further.

"I've just been thinking about some things. I want Bella to be as safe as possible, and if you haven't noticed things haven't been going my way lately." Just then Bella came out of the restroom. Of course, that would be the only reason they would be separated.

"Oh hey, Gretch."

"Hey Bells, what's up?" I asked, hoping for more information from her.

"Schoolwork mostly, you planning for Italy?" Darn, none whatsoever.

"Yeah, I confirmed the invitation today, and I'm telling Charlie about it tonight."

That was the end of that conversation. Charlie was so excited that I had decided on going, well, it was excited for Charlie. Pegasus would be coming, as in, he would be leaving in a travel cage with me, and then sucked through some portal at the airport to the cage in Italy. I bought a set of luggage online, dark red with embroidered black flowers. I was only allowed to bring what would fit in two suitcases and a carry on. Basically it was all my favorite clothes, some animal traps, and my case file. I looked over my things. Yup, everything was there, but something didn't feel right. It was the way Edward had acted that day that just made me feel off.

I found my fingers nervously hitting my thumbs in different combinations a little ways out form my neck. It was happening more and more lately. Habit I picked up from all the on-my-toes thinking.

I sighed and finished my homework at human speed, crashing on my bed without fainting this time. I just wanted to be in the now before I had to leave in a week.

The next day was even stranger. Only Edward came to school, and when we asked he gave some lame excuse. Nobody at lunch knew why, when we asked Agent Founder he avoided the question. I sighed, he never told us anything.

"Come for a walk with me?" Edward asked Bella when we had gotten home. I stiffened and sent Edward a thought.

"If you hurt Bella in any way, I will hunt you down, Cullen." His expression didn't move, so I didn't get an answer.

"Sure, Gretch I'll be back in a little while. Be good while I'm gone." I nodded, and gave her a hug before continuing to make my snack.

"Don't get hurt." I warned, and I knew that was all I could do. Whatever happened after that would happen. After they had gone out the back door I ate my snack staring through the window. They disappeared into the trees. I didn't see how this would make Bella any safer than she was before. I kept tabs on their auras so I knew where both of them were and a general idea of what was happening. They were both in some serious pain. I clamped my hand on the table to keep myself steady and attempted to pull away from their feelings a little more and tune into their minds.

Their thoughts were toned with determination and more pain. What the heck was happening in there?

A flash of white snapped through the house, leaving the back door wide open.

"Take care of her for me, Gretchen." The words were so fast I had to hear them fast as well. I continued to move quickly out the door and saw that Edward's car was no longer in the driveway. He was gone.

"Bella!" I shouted towards the woods and ran into the brush. "Isabella Swan, answer me this instant!" Still silence. I followed the path of her aura and found her walking deeper into the forest, keeping my left fingers moving in that nervous vampire-fast pattern, so I could stay awake. I found her not too far, and touched her arm. "Why didn't you answer me? What happened?" Pegasus had followed and was trotting slowly on my flank.

It was silent for about a minute before she answered, and we just kept walking. "He's somewhere."

"Bella, he left. His car isn't in the driveway. Tell me what happened." I grabbed her hand and invaded her thoughts. They were very confused and blinded. I couldn't get any clear answers from them.

"He's still here, it was just a-he went this way, so he has to be here." I was starting to feel like I was in one of those horror movies where the girl is facing away from the main character and when she turns around something horrible is wrong with her face.

"Bella, you aren't making any sense. The car is gone, he isn't here. He couldn't have run back this fast."

"Gretchen, he's just-it just- why don't you go back and I'll look around here some more." It was like talking to an insane person.

"Bella, something is wrong, and if you won't tell me I have no choice but to bring you home. Now tell me what Edward said to you." I was getting really frightened now. Was this some hypnotizing power I wasn't aware vampires had? Was this serious? Should I take her to a doctor- but what doctor should I go to? Luna's mom knew healing better than I did.

"That hurts." She said pretty calmly. I gasped at my hand that had been squeezing her arm so hard there were swelling pink marks around my fingers. I loosened them, but still held on.

Stupid me.

Bella broke away from me and into a run further into the forest. I was about to shoot a shield in front of her, but I didn't need to. She tripped hard, tumbling down onto the heavy roots of an old willow. I shouted to her. Her body was convulsing like the flutter of a small bird's wing. I appeared promptly at her side and took one of her hands.

Pegasus began making a noise between growling and whimpering and clawed at the ground. He was struggling to follow the orders I had given him so long ago. No eating humans. Bella was bleeding somewhere.

"Pegs, go home. Go home and fetch me a blanket, thermometer, and a bottle of water- without using your mouth." If that spit got into Bella's or Charlie's system they would become whatever I was- and I didn't even know what I was so that couldn't be good. I would have gotten the items myself when we got back to the house, but I assigned Pegs so he wouldn't be in any pain.

"Edward." Bella murmured. I realized she was crying. She peeked out from under her arm. "Gretchen I have to find him. "Gretchen let me go! I have to see him!" She desperately tried to pull away, but I overpowered her.

"Bella, we're going home now! Come on." I yanked as gently as I could on her arm, knowing it was probably worth the strength of ten people put together.

"No, Gretchen, I can't!" She pulled herself up to an upright position, fear brimmed over the two brown orbs that were her eyes. Bella never acted this way. She was always a clam and quiet person. "I have to find him." She tugged pitifully at her hand. "Gretchen, please!" I was starting to become frightened myself. She definitely needed a doctor, oh why had Edward left. I had thought everything was going to be okay for her, that she would be protected and safe for the rest of her life. Why had this happened?

"Bells," I crouched down to stroke her hair, "I'm going to bring you home, and then I'm going to make sure you're not sick, and then I will try and contact the Cullens, and right now I need you to come home." When I said the Cullen's name she went into an even deeper shock. I resisted the urge to hug her and pretended like I was bargaining with a small child. This was killing her, and the resulting behavior was out of her tree. I didn't feel like I was with my big sister anymore. I was with a lunatic.

She began mumbling like a little baby might if it were confused and looked behind her towards the direction Edward apparently went. I created an energy field there, one with a tone of loss of interest, and one behind me with an attracting mood to lead her like a pony to the house. We both stood and she walked erratically along behind me, bumping along with each step. In this way I got her to the living room, made the couch look very welcoming, and dropped the wool blanket over her after she settled down.

I grabbed my cell, stuck a thermometer in Bella's mouth, and called every Cullen related number I had.

No answer. No greeting message. Eight phone numbers out of service.

Why would they do this? Everyone except Rosalie cared about Bella so much more than anyone expected them to. Didn't they know what would happen to her? I ran over Edward's earlier words in my head.

_I've just been thinking about some things. I want Bella to be as safe as possible, and if you haven't noticed things haven't been going my way lately._

Dammit, I knew exactly why Edward left. He hadn't wanted to leave. He wanted to keep her safe, but I couldn't explain this to Bella. I couldn't tell her that he still loved her, because if I did she would be hoping for who knows how long that he would come back for her. I knew time was different through a vampires eyes. They could be determined for how many days as we are hours. It could have been years and years before Edward came back again. What would she do in the mean time though?

I pulled the thermometer out of Bella's mouth. Her temperature was a healthy 98.6. I shook it to reset it and put it back in the case. Then I opened the plastic case on my dog tag and hit the numbers 001 for the second time that month. My tv turned on by itself.

"Agent Ironia, why have you called, and from your living room of all places?" Agent Founder appeared on the screen. Again the background was blurry. He was still straightening things out in Voltaire.

"Sorry to bother you at such a critical time, Sir, but I need to ask you if the Cullen's have registered their move yet?" Those sun glasses came off his face faster than a bullet speeding through the air.

"They didn't move he's out there somewhere." Bella murmured quickly.

"The Cullen's have moved? Where? Is Isabella alright?" I glanced back at her, not really. In fact I was scared out of my wits that her head had been damaged by a fall.

"I'm not sure where the Cullen's have gone, but all their numbers are out of service. I think Edward broke up with Bella, and I am so frightened that she's going to end up in a straight jacket! Help, please!" I heard quiet sobbing behind me. Bella had pulled the blanket up over her head and was crying. I sat down on the edge of the sofa and rubbed her back.

"I think they might have done this on purpose. I just can't spare any extra hands right now! Everyone is either working on the project you are, or have been assigned to a lot worse case than the stable vampires. I'll have my wife check the cameras at their house and Carlisle's office, but that's the best I can do. I'm sorry, Ironia. Would you like me to call one of our healers to your house?" I glanced at the clock. Definitely not enough time for a chakra healing before Charlie got home.

"Thank-you, but there isn't enough time. I just wanted to keep you updated on the assignment." It had been my assignment, when I had first joined the HPA, to keep Bella safe from Edward. It hadn't gone too well, and now she was in too deep for his leaving to be a good thing.

"Alright, Ironia, be strong, and good luck. By the way, thank you for deciding on coming. It's a big help to all of us."

"I know, Sir. I'll do my best." I nodded. He put his glasses back on and the screen went dark again.

There was silence from under the blanket. Bella had stopped crying.

"Bella, would you like to eat something? Maybe some soup?" I asked kindly. This couldn't have been easy. He- that devil- I couldn't even think his name had destroyed my sister's whole future in one conversation. Did Bella have any dreams or aspirations? It seemed like he and school made up her whole life. What kind of existence was that? I felt her shake her head under the cover.

"What about some water?" Again she shook her head. This wasn't going to end soon.

***

The rest of the month was atrocious. I debated on staying millions of times. Bella simply couldn't hold herself up straight, but even if I did stay I knew I couldn't be with her all the time. I was a psioniscist who could feel energies harder than anyone else, and stepping into the house gave me a drowning feeling, knocked me out quite a few times on approach. I learned I had to shield myself from this energy almost all the time, and I could still feel the atrocious energy wanting to break through like a submarine too far under water.

When I had the power to even make it into her room she was sitting on her bed, staring at the opposite wall like a zombie, like someone dead. My heart ached whenever I saw her. I often supplied her with a source of happy energy, but it didn't seem to do much. Got food down her at the very most. Plenty of doctors and shrinks came to visit, no luck. Renee even came down and tried to take her back to Jacksonville. Bella threw an absolute fit.

When she did that I went in my room and cried. I couldn't take it, but the day before I had to leave for Italy, I realized I couldn't take care of my big sister any more. It just wasn't in my power. A part of her had been taken away with that evil treacherous man, and I couldn't fix that. The HPA, unable to do anything as well, still hadn't come across them.

Making the last preparations, I created an energy purifier for her room with energy from my aura, as she radiated depression, the machine would turn it around into good energy and supply her with it. It would help a little.

The next day I rode to the airport in a silent cruiser. Bella sat in front. I was in the back with Pegs. Both Charlie and I had been feeling helpless. Our attempts to make her feel better were complete failures.

"Be a good girl, Gretchen." That was the only thing Bella said as she hugged me. I knew if she thought about what was going to happen to me she would have had another episode.

"I'm gonna miss you kid. It's going to feel lonely in the house without you." Charlie said and ruffled my hair. Surprisingly, he swept me up into his arms and hugged me tight. I guess I really was his little girl now. I felt a warm glow make its way into my aura, and got a little uncomfortable.

"By Charlie, I'll miss you too." My next sentence was quieter. "Take care of her as much as you can. Goodbye, Charlie." And then I ran off with Pegs, Luna, Buddy, the twins, the small girl who had joined a little before I had and we boarded our plane.

I had already told Pegs what was going to happen at home. He understood when our flight attendant had to teleport him to the cage in Voltaire. Still I feared for him while I wasn't there.

We were told we would be staying in the previous residences of the Volturi members before moving to the castle. I liked the idea, that way I could discover more about the individual person and get a clearer decision on if I wanted to kill them or not. The four of us leading agents (me, Buddy, Luna, and Catherine), along with the twins and the little girl named Rachel, would be staying in Demitri's old mansion. The little ones were coming because they knew us best and we had to take care of them. I was kind of interested in staying in Demetri's house. I could see him, so hopefully I would be able to see his house.

Speaking of not being able to see, I would be required to play a blind person just in case there was a room, or place, or person I couldn't see. I was being provided with a collection of scarves to tie around my eyes. It wasn't a problem for me though. I could still see a little through the scarf and I really didn't need my eyes to feel the energies around me. I also had a cane now, and I would have to use it like I didn't know where I was going. I would be perfectly fine.

I had to do a quick study of Braille on the plane, along with filtering all my links to my family so they couldn't find me and/or smell me. I picked out a dark purple scarf to match my outfit. Purple t-shirt, long black vest that met my ruffled black skirt and some converse. We then reviewed Italian etticate so we wouldn't look ridiculous when we had dinner with the WHOLE DARN VOLTURI this evening, well, not including the big three because they couldn't be seen by humans without suspicions floating around. This made things quite a bit easier, but there were still quite a few risks.

Just then the flight attendant came back from the pit and announced that we would be landing in five minutes. I gripped the edge of my incredibly cushioned seat- this was it.


	10. Long Withheld Emotions

I waltzed through the airport easily by using my aura like a dolphin would echolocation. The cane took the biggest amount of brainpower. I had to think about when I should use it and how I should use it for things to look natural, which kept me from my stress relieving, finger twiddling habit. Catherine's aura met us warmly at baggage claim. Once we got past that point I was led by Luna to a vampire looking very shadowy through my scarf. My heart beat picked up a bit as I bounced my aura off his (of course enough so he could detect my human presence, but not so he could detect my identity). The power almost knocked me off my feet. The same familiar, warm energy I felt in my dream. It was Demitri.

"Welcome to Italy, American friends. I will be escorting you to your new home. My name is Demitri Bianchi, great great grand nephew of the original Demitri Bianchi, whose home you will be staying in for the course of the school year. You are welcome to call me Senator Bianchi." His heavy accent didn't bother or confuse me, it was like velvet against my sensitive ears. I pulled myself away, making sure I was considerably masked. "May I have your names?"

Our small group had agreed that whenever we had to take turns, I would always be in the middle. When someone is on the extremities of anything they are noticed; they are either the first or last, the best or worst, the strongest or the weakest, but the people in the middle are never looked at twice, and that was exactly what we had to make sure of.

"My name is Buddy Additon." As the oldest, biggest, and most protective he took the first step forward to shake Demetri's hand. I felt a sense of uncertainty from Demetri, like he thought Buddy was lying. There was a moment of tension between Luna's aura and Buddy's and I heard a mushy thunk.

"I apologize, my formal first name is Regginewald." I bit my lip to keep from giggling. I never thought Buddy was a nickname before then.

"Ah, Regginewald," Buddy was obviously uncomfortable with being called this, "very nice to meet you."

"Luna Crenshaw, wonderful to meet you, Senator." I heard and felt them take a step towards each other, connect, and back away.

We also knew it was unsafe to introduce all the girls at once.

"Timothy Additon, pleasure to make your acquaintance." The first twin tried to use his extensive vocabulary to seem older. It was in his voice, and a big-shot glow skimming the edge of his energy field.

"Very nice to meet you, young man. Aren't you a little young to be in high school, though?" I could hear the smirk in Demetri's voice as he spoke to Timmy , knowing he was trying to act adult.

"You forget, good sir, that you graciously opened your home to only highly gifted, identified as genius children. I am perfectly capable of advanced high school work." Any member of the agency was, but of course, what the Volturi didn't know, was that we were most likely not studying arithmetic that year unless they tried to check in on us. Demetri was highly impressed with Timmy's maturity and moved on. My fingers began twitching in that nervous manner again. I felt Demetri focus on it and I stopped suddenly. Couldn't have him recognize me. His aura against mine was electric. My heart froze a moment.

"Catherine O'Riely." Catherine announced proudly, and stepped forward, one arm folded behind her back, and one stretched out to shake Demetri's hand. Her roots showed obviously today. I felt soft felt around her legs and head, her plaid skirt and forest green beret. Based on the different depths of her clothing I could feel she was wearing her dark green sweater vest over her white flannel button up shirt. A huge contrast compared to our punk, rock star looks. Damn, I felt Demetri almost lose it at her scent. Not well trained at all. I quickly shielded her, and giggled quietly, feeling everyone else's energy join mine as if all of our arms flew out in front of her at the same time like parents in a possible car accident. The yearning from Demitri stopped immediately; it had been replaced by suspicion. We all pulled back a little so he could feel where she was again. I felt him shake his head as if he had just thought he saw a ghost. We would have to be more careful about that.

It was my turn now. My insides crumbled in nervousness, and a surge of calm filled me, my friends, now supporting me. A few tears escaped my eyes and were absorbed by the bottom edge of the scarf. My friends had to support my arm so it wouldn't shake as I reached for his hand. His aura came closer to contact and things got harder and harder. I couldn't concentrate any longer. I felt others' auras swarm around me to protect me from myself, drawing my energy in from my hand so that it wouldn't release my thought process into _his_ energy.

His cold, stony hand grasped mine. There was another energy that sparked when the palms of our hands touched, a firework between us in the orb of the connected pools of our chakras. I was immediately inclined to wrap myself in his energy, but I knew that could completely sacrifice the mission. I held my core strong against this new urge.

"Can you speak?" He asked gently. I felt my cheeks flood with color and my ears became hot under the scarf. He thought I was totally disabled or something.

"Um- I'm sorry. I can talk. My name is Gretchen Swan. It's nice to see- I mean meet you." I felt my face get hotter under his warm glance and my insides got all tangled.

"It's very nice to meet you too, Gretchen. I hope you enjoy your stay here." I felt him take a deep breath of my scent. He was attracted to it, but thanks to my friends' good shielding, in a human way. I curled up inside myself, not sure how to handle any of that. I barely heard him speaking with Johnny and Rachel. I was just shaking just like puppies always do. I tried to control myself, tried to grab on to me, but I didn't feel like me anymore. The external locus of control set in and caused a sweet layer of cold sweat to form on my skin. I felt terrible, my friends were the ones holding me from being who knows what! Noticed, eaten? I couldn't do anything to help myself. The tears came faster now, soaking the bottom of the scarf.

All the while Demetri didn't notice, which was perfect, except for the fact I wanted him to know who I was and why I was there. Everything was so heartbreaking.

I have no idea how I made it to the house. The world was trembling around me. My friends supported me the whole way. I had to call them my friends now. No one had cared that much before. I was freaking out in the limo with the others. Along the way Demetri pointed out different landmarks and historical sites, but I never heard his words, I heard his voice, and that alone was enough to send me crumbling.

"Gretchen, we're here." Someone said.

"I know." I responded in a daze. A grin broke across my face for a few seconds. Someone giggled on my right.

"Noe Graitchen, we're at the house." She said.

"Ohhh." I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment, as if they weren't already hot enough from all the anxiety. I was definitely going to need a shower before dinner. I recognized the voices that had spoken were Luna and Catharine on either side of me. I hadn't even realized Demitri's aura had left the seating area, that his voice had stopped.

"Come here honey, stop it with the spazing. We're all going to be okay if you snap out of it a little." It was Luna; I heard her grin. Her room temperature hand was cool around my wrist as she guided me out of the vehicle.

I bounced my aura off the ground beneath me so I wouldn't step wrong. A little bit of gravel, then a patch of grass about a foot below my boot. It didn't keep me from stumbling a on the way out.

I hastily used my cane to get up the front steps. Luna still had hold of my arm.

"Welcome, students, to my home. I haven't lived in it for many years, so please feel free to use all its facilities, they shouldn't go to waste."

Demitri's stride was proud as he guided us all into the house. By the way, my aura had to expand to fit the whole house within, I could tell it was flourishing and winding. There was little architecture without a Greco swirl or Roman decoration.

"As you can tell, everything is relatively new, and has been restored several times over-" This was when his words began to fade in my head again. My thoughts returned to the questions: Who was this man in front of me? Cousin? Uncle? Father? What if he really was a murderous unforgiving monster? What if they all were? Which ones were actually my family? Could I spare any of them for the fate of the human race?

All the while Luna and Catherine tugged me along as necessary. I bumped my cane around, but it was only a prop. Now I understood the Cullen's use of backpacks, textbooks, umbrellas. Everything was there for show.

Something hard jabbed me in the side when we were half way up one of the coiling staircases. "Graitchen!" Catherine shot with definite impatience. "He asked you if you would be okay with all the steps."

"Oh!" I blushed again. "Yes, I'll be fine. No big deal." I felt a random disturbance between Luna's aura and mine.

"I'm sorry there aren't any bedrooms on the first floor, but I can get you transferred to a house that does if you need it."

"No, no, It's okay. Please don't bother, I'm fine."

_Gretchen, stop it! You aren't supposed to be __**that**__ smart!_ Luna's voice echoed in my head. I was immediately confused. I only had to act blind, not anything else.

"Alright, and by the way you have impeccably fluent Italian. Have you studied long?" Oh, cracker jackers, I changed languages by accident.

"Yes, almost four years." I completely bluffed. "I've self taught between online courses and books." I pulled back my aura from him a lot when I said this so I would fade into the crowd again, and he wouldn't be able to identify me by that piece of conversation. Correspondingly he backed off from talking to me directly and moved on with the rest of the tour.

We moved through two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a library on the upper floor that all seemed fairly comfortable. The twins and Rachel would be sleeping down stairs in the old servants' quarters near the kitchen. I bounced my aura in front of us and found that not only the end of the hall was approaching, but an incredibly constricting aura. A harsh pressure was already building on my profile, and a lightheaded feeling grew strong. I checked the other's auras and found they felt it too, but were better shielded against it than I was. I hung back while the others looked at the last bedroom, but I actually began listening to what Demitri had to say.

"Would you all like to hear a story about this room?" He asked in a sly tone, but his aura contrasted in a depressing way. They all agreed in a business like manner. "You all act like you're too old for stories! A crime has been committed against your generation if you haven't been taught to value them. Even the most fictitious tales have a teaspoon of truth behind them, so please listen with the greatest attention you can give. It might be helpful to you in the future." He spoke so romantically about the legend he was going to tell he could have been a literature teacher, but I guess you would be excited to tell your history if it was full of vampires and other strange creatures.

"It has been said that my Great great great Grandfather," (and by great great great grandfather he meant himself), "had a knack for finding people, from missing little boys to the culprit of a theft or murder, and so he often worked for the police tracking anyone who needed to be found. But he didn't always find those he was assigned to find. Sometimes he just found people by accident. This time he found a young girl on one of his hunting trips in the woods. She claimed to have been chased by an angry demon for miles from her village, and got lost while running. She wasn't sure where to find her village or if the beast was actually gone for good." I automatically began to guess what was going on. The girl was probably being chased by a vampire; she stayed in Demitri's house for a while; the vampire found her and bit Demitri at the very least if not, than the girl too.

"Considering this was the time during which people believed in such spirits and demonic presences, my-oh let's just call him my Grandfather offered to hide her in his home until she could be assured the beast was gone and could return to her village. She graciously accepted and comfortably used this bedroom while she stayed for about a two weeks in his house." Yup, one thing right already. My fingers began drumming on the end of my cane

"My Grandfather- oh how do you Americans say it- fell head over heels for the girl in half a month, and planned on admitting his feelings for her one evening before he wished her goodnight. He climbed the stairs to her bedroom, knocked, and received no answer. He knocked again to make sure, and because it was so odd that she hadn't told him before going to bed as she always did, he slipped the door open.

"He found her on the floor twisting and writhing, struggling to keep her sanity as ferocious growls and threats ripped through her throat. I suppose it was some sort of disease, rabies maybe." I let out a small snort, rabies, three points for me. "She could have been bitten by something in the forest, or maybe some animal wandered into the house and attacked my Grandfather, and the story evolved in my family to be more entertaining, but my Grandfather was found seriously injured in this room by some friends who had called. They had him healed over the course of three days, but the woman, or animal, or demon who flew in from the open window was no where to be found." All four points received. Obviously there were a great many things that could be speculated on about that story, but I was pretty sure the horrid event that kept me from that room, was the three days of pain in which he "healed" that only translated to us knowledgeable of the unknown as his transformation into a vampire.


	11. The Power of Love

A long silence followed Demetri's story. He zoned out for a few seconds, then smiled.

"I hope that didn't scare you away now, my young friends. Just a story, of course. No one could actually be hurt by something like that out here now that the city is modernized." None of his actual emotions made an imprint on his facial features, but on the outskirts of his psi I felt a tender vulnerability. I attempted to push deeper. The feeling had to run deeper; he couldn't be so emotional on the outside and a cold blooded murder to the core. Energy didn't work like that. Energy was honest.

Volts of unfriendly energy surged through my fingers along my arms and into my chest, a glob of thick, black lightning surrounded by red. I gave a silent wail and fell back along the stone wall, but the shields around me were equally as strong as the one around him. He continued staring into space while the others cradled me in psi until I regained my balance.

The energy hadn't come from within him though. It had gathered around him. His face showed innocence. He didn't know there a great evil glazed across his presence. I couldn't touch his inner thoughts.

_Dorks, say something. _I heard Luna think to the twins inside the room.

"But are there really wild animals around here?" Timmy asked in feigned child-like interest. Based on Italy's climate, we probably had the same creatures in Forks including the mythical ones.

"I apologize. What did you say my good man?" He played along with Timothy's earlier attempt at adultness.

"I think he's scared now that you said all that stuff about animals. He wants to know if rabies is actually going around and what animals carry it, if there are any wolves or bears or other large dangerous things to worry about." Anthony mocked. Oh, there were wolves alright. If there wasn't that night, there would be soon. I suddenly remembered Pegasus who was supposed to be prowling a cage under the house.

"Are not! I'd fight them with my bare hands!" Timmy said. Which he probably could, if he wanted.

"Please excuse them, Senator Bianchi." Cathrine bonked the twins' heads together. "They might be advanced in intelligence, but they still haven't matured."

"It's certainly fine. I will warn you there are some that come through every once in a while, but it's not often. Usually they stick to the forest, and it's usually at night. There have been no reported cases of rabies here in decades. I would also prefer if you didn't strangle the wildlife." They nodded their heads politely. "Anything else I've missed?" Another more comfortable silence as we all shook our heads and smiled gratefully. "Magnificent, please enjoy your stay here in Voltaire, and I will see you again at the dinner this evening. Until then, Arrivederci." And with the flick of his coat tails he strode out the room, past me, and down the stairwell.

The others talked about normal things kids like us would talk about until we were sure he was out of earshot, which was a block away in his limousine. Everyone turned to me with an expecting glance.

"Gretchen, what'd he do to you?" Rachel asked flat out with a layer of fear in her soul. They had moved out in the hall. I led them towards the staircase to get away from the awful feeling the room carried as I spoke and removed the scarf from my eyes.

"He didn't do anything to me." I stared at the metal ornament on my cane, no surprise they had picked a wolf. I wrapped its head in my scarf and swirled the material against the metal. "It was a shield made by the Volturi. We're not the only ones who control the energy around them, even if they don't know what they're doing, and they've always kept everything tight knit. I couldn't see anything he was thinking or feeling beyond the edge points, so I have no idea what he was thinking of at the time…"

"Well, duh! He was thinking about his long lost, tortured lover mangled on the floor in front of him! No wonder he went to the dark side!" We all stopped and turned to stare, jaws open, at Buddy. "What? I thought women wanted us to be more romantic! You tell us we're dorks, and then when we try to be deep, we're gay! I don't get you girls."

"So you couldn't figure out who he was to you at all?" Luna asked me, completely avoiding the subject Buddy presented.

"No, you saw that thing hit me. If we're going to find out anything we have to break down his shield, or find him in a place where the shield isn't up." I swathed the head of my cane in my scarf several times. Winding and unwinding impatiently. I wanted to know his world, finally know my world, and damn it if I hadn't been kicked out.

"You guys!" Luna said, popping us all out of our own thoughts. "Sorry, Gretchen, this doesn't exactly relate, but we've only got a few hours before dinner and we haven't even decided on rooms yet!"

"Littleuns get the servants' quarters!" Buddy said in a sing-song tone.

"Hey!" The twins protested.

Rachel gasped. "You can't leave me alone with them!"

"Calm down, all of you. We can't do that anyway-" Rachel's cell phone started ringing.

"Catch a falling star, and put it in your pocket. Never let it fade away." It sung. She answered.

"Hi Jazzy!"

"Oh for the love of haggas." Catherine facepalmed. "Can't you call them back in a minute?"

_Are we not going some place to sit?_ I asked in my head. It would have been too rude to say aloud. Luna heard me and ushered us all down stairs as Rachel spoke.

"I think I'll be fine. Cat says we're going to work it out, but I just don't want to live with those icky boys." I heard Alice giggle on the other end. The vampire couple had to be on pins and needles. Rachel was like their only daughter, and for her to be almost sacrificed to the Volturi like that had to be difficult.

"Cat?" Cathrine asked quietly.

"You know I was an icky boy once." I heard Jasper say.

"There's a difference." Rachel claimed.

"No, trust me, there isn't." Alice interrupted. "Just use their closets for your own clothes and they'll obey eventually." Rachel grinned.

"Hey!" The twins liked that word.

"You won't be living with them anyway Rachel. We are going to plan this so we're prepared in case the Volturi attack us." We were all silent for a moment, imagining a pair of jaws around Rachel's little neck.

"Rachel, I will come get you myself if they force you to do anything you don't want to. I could get you on a plane back right now if you want." Jasper said determinedly. I lokked up to the crown molding. A small naked cherub smiled down at us without a face. The pale eveilness of it made me shiver.

"Jasper, I want her home now!" We came to the first marble landing and stopped there. I leaned against the stone banister for support.

"We can get her home faster than a plane." Catherine jumped at the chance. My eyes flashed to her. This surprised me as she was usually so loyal to the company.

"So you don't need her? So you're sacrificing innocent lives for nothing?" Alice raged.

"Rachel may I see the phone?" Catherine held out her hand to the confused and mortified little girl. She handed the device away.

"We don't need all these kids to destroy the Volturi." Catherine said quietly into the receiver. "I can bet a fourth of these kids are here because the HPA needed bait." Luna moved to hide her face in Buddy's shoulder. She wasn't proud of everything her father did. "I'm not, and I know this group isn't going to let Rachel be served to them on a sliver platter. We can get her home now if you want. I'm sure we'd all be willing to take the punishment." I couldn't make ye contact with her. It couldn't be moral to only save one innocent life.

"Stop it!" It was Rachel who shouted. "I'm not going to be sent home while other kids are killed as I should have been! No, this whole thing isn't right; something is horribly wrong, I can feel it in my heart chakra! But we can't un-deploy a hundred kids from the mission without the Volturi noticing. It's too much energy lost, and I will not go without everyone else." Alice's dry sobs were heard in the background. A reverberation of energy pulled Rachel forward, then back again as she shielded from her parent's energy. Their emotional pain was too much for her. She bit her lip and wiped at her watering eyes. Was that what family was? Too much love to bear?

And then the energy seemed to want to pull her inside out. She began hyperventilating, eyes towards the ceiling, mouth agape, gargling sounds emerging from her chest. Anthony rushed forward and restrained her writhing body against his form. "Daddy, daddy, stop, I can't take it!" She screamed. The attack ceased in seconds. She fell limp against Johnny, breathing heavily and holding her heart. It shocked us all to realize Jasper's untrained psi did that. Rachel's shields weren't strong enough to protect against love.

She caught her breath slowly, and spoke again. "I'm going to defeat them for all of us. It's what HPA kids do. It's how we think. It's how we live. We live to protect everyone but ourselves, and I know it will be hard for all of us, but we're going to protect each other." I smiled softly at her passion for both of her adopted families. If only I could express that.

Again, seconds lasted so the emotionally injured could compose themselves. "Rachel?" Alice asked.

"Mhmm."

"Fine, stay there. You're absolutely right….but you're coming home for Christmas and Easter and Hannakah any other measly holiday you can squirm your way to America for, and were calling you every day." Catherine handed the phone back to Rachel. "Mommy and Daddy love you, sweetheart. Be a good girl." Jasper regained his voice as well.

"I love you my little starshine. We'll call later on."

"I love you both. Talk to you soon." She sure emphasized "soon", and heartbrokenly, she closed the device and gripped it close to her chest.

I'm sure if I had loved a family as much as she did before that point in my life. I wouldn't have tried to do myself in so many times, but life had been so hard. How could I actually function any more?


End file.
